BOSTON — Game 4 was over. The Buffalo Sabres were leading the Boston Bruins 6-0.

But following a whistle at 16:43 remaining in regulation, Nikita Zadorov approached Rasmus Dahlin at center ice. Zadorov cross-checked Dahlin, breaking his stick, then swiped at the Sabres captain.

Zadorov was given a five-minute cross-checking major and a game misconduct. On Monday, the NHL announced that Zadorov had been fined $5,000, the maximum amount allowed under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Nikita Zadorov is given a 5-minute major for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin between play. #NHLBruins #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/Mfw73wCY4o

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) April 26, 2026

“I don’t know,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm answered when asked if he was worried Zadorov had put himself in line for supplemental discipline. “I can’t answer that. I don’t know. Sorry.”

Zadorov had a league-leading 152 penalty minutes during the regular season. He was called for six majors and four 10-minute misconducts. He had not drawn a game misconduct.

Zadorov played 19:20 on the third pair in Game 4. He was credited with four hits, including a second-period wallop of Jack Quinn.

Sabres players mostly steered clear of talking about the hit after the game. Goalie Alex Lyon said he didn’t see it. Zach Benson, who got a penalty for cross-checking Zadorov in retaliation, also claimed the same.

“I just heard a stick break,” Benson said. “I didn’t really see it. I haven’t seen it yet. I’m not too sure, but obviously it’s after the whistle, and there’s no need for that.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said on Friday that both teams were warned before Game 3 about the after-the-whistle antics after a heated Game 2. That’s why Peyton Krebs was called for a roughing penalty early in Game 3. Ruff understood that the call was an attempt to calm things down after the whistle.

“I think the message is consistent from them is that they’re going to hold the game to a higher standard,” Ruff said after Game 3.

Zadorov crossed that line, and it resulted in a fine from the league.

“I understand the emotion of that because of the way the game went,” Ruff said. “You see that in playoff games. That type of raw emotion it’s because a player is so frustrated with the game. There’s lots of bantering back and forth inside the game. It’s not a play you want. I’m pretty sure if that’s the regular season that might even be a suspension. Could have easily broken Rasmus’ arm with the cross-check.”

Outside of that play and the response from the Sabres, this was a pretty tame game in terms of penalties. They had three power plays, and the Bruins had just one.

“We’re just playing our game,” Benson said. “We want to play our game and stick to that. That’s all the message was.”

The calmer the game is from a physicality standpoint, the more it favors Buffalo. The Sabres skated to a dominant 6-1 win, and it was enough to cause Zadorov’s frustration to boil over. The Sabres kept a level head during the game and maintained that afterward.

“We’re going to stick up for our captain and have his back at all times,” Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram said. “We don’t have a comment on that.”